Apparatus for reducing electric cu rrents and voltage



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. F. VETTBR.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING ELECTRIC GURRENTS AND VOLTAGE.

No. 602,709. I Patented'Apr. 19,1898.

0 m A 72mm,

jail-ice a E W WITNESSES: m VENTOR A TTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

I A. P. VETTER. APPARATUS FORREDUGING ELEOTRIG GURRENTS ND VOLTAGE. No.602,709.

Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

[NYE/{TOR fly ATTORl/EYS WITNESSES. m

gramme UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER F. VETTER, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE MEYROIVITZ MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OFRIDGEFIELD, NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING ELECTRIC CURRENTS AND VOLTAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 602,709, dated April 19,1898.

Application filed September 3, 1895. Renewed November 13, 1897- SerialNo. 658,486. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, ALEXANDER F. VETTER, of Long Island City, in thecounty of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved. Apparatus for Reducing Electric Currents and Voltage, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and eifectiveapparatus for reducing large electric currents with high voltage tosmall currents with low voltage to adapt the current to uses heretoforeemploying batteries or special generators.

My invention consists in the combination, with the main circuit or abranch thereof, of two resistances placed'in the circuit, one forreducing the current and another for reducing the voltage, ashunt-circuit including a variable amount of the second orvoltage-reducing resistance, and translating devices, all as will behereinafter more fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating one formof my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar View of another arrangement ofparts.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both thefigures.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the main-circuit wires A A in the present casetake the current from the dynamo B, and branch wires C D are connectedwith the main conductors A A. The branch wire D is connected with oneend of a volt-controller D, consisting of a series of resistances 1 2 34, &c., the other end of the series being connected by the Wire E with aswitch E, controlling the connection with the wire C. In practice thereare as many resistance-coils 1 2 3, &c., as there are volts. In thepresent case there are nineteen coils, representing a pressure in themain circuit of nineteen Volts; but I do not limit or confine myself toany particular proportion between the resistances 1 2 3, &c., and thevoltage.

At the end of the series of resistances 1 2 3 4, &c., and between allthe resistance-coils of the series are placed contact-points inelectrical connection with the terminals of the adjacent coils, andthese contact-points are preferably arranged in a circle, as shown. Inthe center of the circle is pivoted an arm F, which is capable oftouching eitherof the contact-points in the series. The pivot of the armF is connected with an ampere-controller L, which consists of a seriesof resistance-coils b, a series of insulated contact-plates c, and acentral contact-plate d, from which a wire M leads to a rheostat K. Thecontact-plates c and d are recessed in the well-known manner, as shown,to receive a connecting-plug. From the rheostat K a wire I leads to aterminal G, and the said wire may include an ammeter or milliammeter J,as shown. It will be understood, however, that the amn1e ter and therhcostat may be dispensed with in many cases. The wire E is alsoconnected to a terminal II, and between the terminals Gr and II isplaced a working circuit containing a cautery-wire, an electrochemicalor electrotherapeutical apparatus, or the like.

I prefer to place in each of the wires C and D a fuse Cl, and a devicea, acting as an arrester for high-tension discharges, as in such a casethe fuse a will burn out and the e11- tire current will pass through thehigh resistance a. Said resistance may consist of any suitablematerialfor instance, carbon.

In the present case the wire N, connecting the posts G H, represents thecautery-wire or other translating devices. It will thus be seen that thewire N, the milliammeter J, and the rheostat K are included in the shuntand that with the arrangement of the arm F on the third of the series ofcontacts, as shown, a part of the current is caused to flow through theconductor D, the resistances 1 2,the arm F, the ampere-controller L,wire M, the rheostat K, the conductor I, the ammeter J, the wire N, thewire E, the switch E, and back to the conductor A through the wire C.Another part of the current will flow through all the resistances of thevolt-controller and back to the conductor A through the switch E andwire C. By turning the arm F so as to include more or fewerresistance-coils between the arm F and the wire D the pressure in theshunt-circuit can be Varied, the resistance of each coil in thevolt-controller being, for instance, one ohm.

I prefer to so arrange the resistances that the shifting of the arm Ffrom one contactpoint to the next will correspond to a change ofpressure of one volt.

The amount of current in amperes is controlled by the ampere-controllerL, according to the position of the connecting-plug, while the voltageis controlled in the manner described by cutting in the resistances 1 23, &c., of the volt-controller, as may be required. The amount ofcurrent may be further regulated in the shunt-circuit by the rheostat K,which in the present case is a powdered-carbon rheostat of well-knownconstruction. The milliammeterJ is also of well-known construction andwill therefore need no special description.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 comprises the volt-controller D,connected to the wire D and provided with a rotatable arm F, connectedby the wire I to the terminal or binding post Gr. An ammeter may beincluded in the conductor I, if desired, as in the constructionillustrated by Fig. 1. The wire 0 is connected to one end of anampere-controller L, constructed like the volt-controller D,it beingunderstood that this construction is an equi valent of theampere-controller L. (Shown in Fig. 1.) The ampere-controllerL isprovided with a rotatable arm F, which is connected by a wire 0 with theopposite end of the voltcontroller D to that connected with the wire D.From the wire 0 a branch wire 0 leads to the rheostat K, having a seriesof resistance-coils and contacts, (marked 1 2 3, &c.,) with which therotatable arm F is adapted to come in contact. Said arm F is connectedby means of a wire 0 to the terminal H, between which and the terminal Gis located the working circuit N.

My improved apparatus is used for medical and surgical operations and isespecially designed to permit the use of the street-current for suchpurposes; but it will be understood that the apparatus may be employedin any other case where it is desired to control the Voltage oramperage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In apparatus for reducing currents and Voltage, thecombination with the supply-circuit, of resistance controlling thecurrent strength, a second resistance placed in the supply circuit, ashunt circuit including translating devices, and means for transferringa portion of the second resistance of the supply-circuit to theshunt-circuit, substantially as specified.

2. In apparatus for reducing currents and voltage, the combination withthe supply-circuit, of a current-reducing resistance, a sectionalresistance placed in the supply-circuit, a shunt, including translatingdevices, and means for transferring one or more of the sectionalresistances in the supply-circuit to the shunt-circuit, substantially asspecified.

3. In an apparatus for reducing currents and Voltage,the combinationwith the supplycircuit, of a current-reducing resistance and a sectionalresistance placed in the supplycircuit, a shunt including thetranslating devices, means for transferring one or more sec tions of thesectional resistance of the supplycircuit to the shunt-circuit, and arheostat and measuring instrument placed in the shuntcircuit,substantially as specified.

4.. In an apparatus for controlling the voltage and amperage ofcurrents, the combination of a volt-controller comprising a series ofresistances, and means for putting one or more of the said resistancesinto the circuit, a rheostat connected in series with the saidvolt-controller, means whereby various points or resistances of the saidrheostat and voltcontroller may be connected with the working circuit,and a supply-circuit connected to both ends of the volt-controller andto one end of the rheostat, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for controlling the voltage and amperage of currents,the combination of a supply-circuit, a volt-controller

